Can Sabbath Rest Be a Circuit Breaker for Idolatry?

Host Curtis Chang and Good Faith podcast regular Andy Crouch explore how practicing true Sabbath rest can help Christians break free from burnout, technology overload, and the constant pressure to produce. Andy explains the biblical vision of Sabbath, the difference between rest and leisure, and why so many people feel enslaved to email, phones, and digital noise. They offer practical tools for burnout recovery, Sabbath rest practices, and Christian digital detox, helping listeners rediscover rhythms of rest, contemplation, and spiritual formation. If you're searching for guidance on how to practice Sabbath, how to disconnect from technology, or how to recover from burnout as a Christian, this conversation with Andy Crouch provides a hopeful path to real rest.

(02:24) - The Value of Rest Modeled in Creation

(13:04) - The Cycle of Rest, Contemplation, & Creation in Modern Work

(21:31) - Is Ceasing Labor Different Than Resting From It?

(28:49) - Breaking Free from the Labor Involved in Leisure

(32:18) - True Rest Requires Spiritual Practices

(37:44) - How Can We Rediscovering Sabbath Rest Together?

Drawing from a previous conversation with Andy Crouch, this episode examines how Sabbath rest revitalizes the inner life.

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Mentioned In This Episode:

• Abraham Joshua Heschel's The Sabbath: It's Meaning for Modern Man
• Andy Crouch's The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place
• David Foster Wallace's A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again

Scriptural Thoughts on Rest:

• Genesis 1–3 (ESV) - Genesis and the Creation Story
• Exodus 20:8-11 (ESV) - The Sabbath commandment
• Deuteronomy 5:12-15 (ESV) - Observance of the Sabbath Day

More From Andy Crouch:

• Interact with Andy's website
• Check out Andy's work at Praxis
• Read Andy's book: The Life We're Looking For
• Read Andy's book: The Tech-Wise Family

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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of Redeeming Babel, a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Redeeming Babel.

How Does Kathleen Norris Show Disability Shaping Love, Lament, and Christian Faith?

Bestselling writer Kathleen Norris joins host Curtis Chang on the Good Faith Podcast to talk about her new book, Rebecca Sue: A Sister's Reflections on Disability, Faith and Love. They share the story of Kathleen's disabled sister, Rebecca, and how her journey through perinatal hypoxia, bipolar disorder, anger, and finally gratitude reshaped their family's faith. This episode offers honest wisdom on caregiving, grief, and aging parents and siblings, plus ideas for making sense of a loved one's disability through letters and reflection. Curtis and Kathleen also explore how churches can better include people with disabilities who are "hidden in plain sight," and why love, lament, and telling the truth about our flaws are central to a life of faith.

(01:49) - What did disability mean in the Norris family?

(04:00) - Discovering Disability

(08:52) - The Connection Between Love and Lament

(16:24) - Lessons Learned Caring For a Dying Husband

(20:09) - The Complicated Journey Caregiving and Dying

(29:00) - Admiring a Father's Determination

(31:36) - Championing Disability Rights

(37:27) - Tackling Disability Awareness in Community

(41:56) - Are There Connections Between This Story and Norris' Other Books?

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Mentioned In This Episode:

• Kathleen Norris' Rebecca Sue: A Sister's Reflection on Disability, Faith, and Love
• Listen to Amy Julia Becker (Good Faith episode 145)
• A Brief History of the Benedictine Order
• Understanding the Holy Fool

More From Kathleen Norris:

• Kathleen Norris' The Cloister Walk
• Kathleen Norris' Dakota: A Spiritual Geography
• Kathleen Norris' Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith

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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of Redeeming Babel, a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Redeeming Babel.

A Christian Case For Why Refugees Matter

Host Curtis Chang sits down with Myal Greene, President & CEO of World Relief, to discuss the global refugee crisis, U.S. immigration policy, and how the church can lead the way in offering hope, welcome, and advocacy. Greene explains what defines a refugee, why record numbers are displaced worldwide, and how faith communities—from the Vietnamese boatlift era to modern Good Neighbor Teams—have transformed lives through radical hospitality. Together, they unpack the biblical call to "welcome the stranger", explore how refugees strengthen churches, and share practical ways to get involved through initiatives like World Relief's Churches of Welcome.

(02:11) - What Is a Refugee?

(08:31) - The U.S. Churches' Historical Role in Resettlement

(14:22) - The Christian Case For Helping Refugees

(23:26) - Christians Are Immigrants

(29:20) - The Ramifications of Policy Changes

(43:15) - A Final Word from Myal Greene

Episode Guide for Personal and Group Study

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Mentioned In This Episode:

• 2025 Evangelical Views on Immigration Study (Lifeway Research)
• Notre Dame Study on the Economic Benefits of Refugees in America
• Learn about Vietnamese Boat Crisis & Boat People
• What is the Refugee Act of 1980
• Facts about Afghan Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs)
• Learn More about Evelyn Mangham
• Learn more about National Association of Evangelicals (NAE)

Scripture Mentioned:

• Matthew 25:35-36 (ESV)
• Leviticus 23:22 (ESV)
• Luke 10:25–37; Matthew 25:34–40; James 1:27 (ESV) - The Good Samaritan

More From Myal Greene and World Relief:

• Learn more about World Relief
• Become a World Relief Volunteer
• Join World Relief's ​​Good Neighbor Teams
• Give to Open Doors (Organization collaborating with World Relief)

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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of Redeeming Babel, a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Redeeming Babel.

Wrestling with Shakespeare, Faith, and the Limits of Technology

Host Curtis Chang and Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson—Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine University—explore The Tempest by William Shakespeare and its timeless wisdom for our technology-driven world. Through Prospero's struggle with power, control, and love, they draw parallels between Shakespeare's "magic" and our modern dependence on digital tools. Wilson explains how the play invites us to surrender our illusions of control, embrace humility, and rediscover relationships grounded in grace. Curtis and Jessica's discussion touches on C.S. Lewis, Andy Crouch, and the spiritual discipline of wrestling with hard texts and ideas in an age of easy answers from ChatGPT.

(02:30) - Dependence Upon Technology as Magic

(05:40) - What Do We Forget in Our Obsessions?

(11:03) - The Change in Prospero

(13:41) - Engaging With Challenging Texts

(18:53) - The Temptation of AI

(21:40) - Celebrating Good Faith Podcast Production

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Mentioned In This Episode:

• William Shakespeare's The Tempest (entire play)
• Andy Crouch's The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place
• Genesis 32:22-32 (ESV) - Jacob Wrestling with God or "the Angel"
• C.S. Lewis's The Abolition of Man (pdf)
• The Tempest Act V, Scene 1: "Prospero's Speech"
• John 1:1-14 (ESV) - Jesus as the Word or "logos"
• Hebrews 5:11-6:12 (ESV) - the metaphor of milk and solid food

More From Jessica Hooten Wilson:

• Jessica Hooten Wilson's website
• Explore Jessica's books HERE
• Read articles and Essay by Jessica HERE

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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of Redeeming Babel, a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Redeeming Babel.

How Are Cultural Shifts Making Evangelical Trends Look Like Revival?

Good Faith "founding friend" David French joins Curtis Chang for a powerful conversation on revival, revolution, and the future of American Christianity. Together they explore whether today's supposed spiritual movements signal a genuine renewal of faith or a political realignment within evangelical culture. From Gen Z's shifting beliefs to the rise of MAGA Christianity, they unpack the tension between true repentance and political identity. David and Curtis offer fresh insight into how Christians can pursue authentic spiritual growth while navigating a deeply divided cultural landscape.

(02:58) - What is happening in American Christianity?

(06:36) - It's Complicated: Mistaking Revolution For Revival

(09:35) - What Does Revival Look Like?

(12:11) - Revival vs. Revolutionary Christianity

(20:09) - Empathy and Struggling With Sin Together

(29:11) - Religious and Political Realignment in America

(39:45) - Religious Realignment in American Churches

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Mentioned In This Episode:

• David French's article Something Is Stirring in Christian America, and It's Making Me Nervous
• Barna Research: Young Adults Lead a Resurgence in Church Attendance
• Tim Keller's article 'Lord, Do It Again': Tim Keller on Revival (The Gospel Coalition)
• Tim Keller's message A Biblical Theology of Revival
• Read Acts 2:14-47 (ESV) - Peter preaches from Joel and repentance breaks out
• Read Isaiah 6 (ESV) - Isaiah's call and commission
• George Whitefield and the 1727 The Great Awakening
• What was the Azusa Street Revival? (Christian Union America)
• Kevin Brown's article What the Asbury Revival Taught Me About Gen Z (Christianity Today)
• What is Seven Mountain Dominionism?
• What is Catholic Integralism?
• Differing Opinions: Is Empathy A Sin? Some Conservative Christians Argue It Can Be (PBS)
• Rodney Stark The Rise of Christianity: A Sociologist Reconsiders History (PBS)
• Read Romans 5:1-11 (ESV) - Peace with God through faith
• Listen: Good Faith episode 30 Russell Moore discusses why "crazy as a church growth strategy" is not the way of Jesus
• Ryan Burge: What About White Evangelicals Who Aren't Conservative?

More From David French:

• David French's New York Times pieces HERE
• Follow David French on Threads

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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of Redeeming Babel, a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Redeeming Babel.

Can We Move From Fear to a Holy Indifference That Teaches Peace and Presence?

Seattle-based writer Sara Billups joins host Curtis Chang to explore how faith, mental health, and spiritual practices can help calm anxiety in our bodies, families, churches, and politics. Drawing from her book Nervous Systems (available November 4, 2025), Sara shares practical ways to find peace, emotional balance, and spiritual resilience amid today's chaos. Together, Curtis and Sara discuss how understanding our stories and grounding in faith can help us live with calm and clarity in an anxious culture.

(02:23) - Navigating Anxiety in Uncertain Times

(04:35) - Understanding Anxiety Across Generations

(18:58) - Navigating Anxiety With Holy Indifference

(26:00) - Anxiety in Churches, Politics, and Systems

(28:15) - Churches Cultivating Non-Anxious Presence

(33:43) - Finding a Spiritual Home in Crisis

(41:20) - Sara's Message a Generation of Anxious Young Adults

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Mentioned in this episode:

• Sara Billups' Nervous Systems: Spiritual Practices to Calm Anxiety in Your Body, the Church, and Politics
• What is Epigenetics? (Cleveland Clinic)
• Curt Thompson discusses generational trauma and epigenetics (episode of Curt's podcast)
• Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises
• St. Teresa of Lisieux's Divine Office
• The story behind the hymn It Is Well With My Soul
• Frederick Buechner describes his daughter's anorexia and praying Psalm 131 (video)
• Frederick Buechner's Telling Secrets
• Matthew 26:36-46 (ESV) Jesus prays in Gethsemane
• Edwin Friedman's A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix
• Edwin Friedman's Six Measures of Effective Leadership (Jack Shitima's Non-Anxious Leader blog)
• Mark Sayers's A Non-Anxious Presence: How a Changing and Complex World will Create a Remnant of Renewed Christian Leaders
• The ignatian concept of Indifference
• Thomas McKenzie's The Anglican Way: A Guidebook
• Tim Keller's The Church in the City (Series of audio messages)
• Christianity Today's The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill (podcast) 22
• Explore Grace Church Seattle
• Good Faith episode featuring Paco Amador of Little Village in Chicago

More from Sara Billups:

• Sara Billups' Orphaned Believers: How a Generation of Christian Exiles Can Find the Way Home
• Sara Billups' Bitter Scroll (substack)
• Sara Billups' That's the Spirit podcast (with Morgan Page)

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What Does Faith Demand in an Age of ICE Raids?

In this first episode in an on-going series on immigration in America, host Curtis Chang talks with Pastor Luis "Paco" Amador about the struggles of Chicago's immigrant communities, especially in Little Village, where faith meets fear amid ongoing ICE raids. Pastor Amador shares stories of family separation, resilience, and gospel hope, revealing how churches stand as places of strength and compassion. The episode calls for biblical justice and unity within the church in the face of division and fear.

(03:15) - Immigration and Community in Chicago

(05:49) - Impact of Immigration Raids on Community

(12:54) - Immigration Rights Issues

(15:35) - Community Support

(17:38) - How Does the Bible Speak To the Immigrant's Experience?

(19:37) - Migrants and Persecution

(27:00) - A Faith Revival in Immigrant Communities

(34:00) - Immigration Reform and Order

(39:10) - Migrants Fleeing Collapsing Dictatorships

Episode Guide for Personal and Group Study

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Mentioned In This Episode:

• Images of ICE raids in Little Village, Chicago (the month of October)
• Matthew 5:1-12 (ESV) The Beatitudes
• Acts 8:1-4 (ESV) The Scattering of the Church
• Genesis 12 (ESV) The Call of Abraham
• Justo L. Gonzalez's The Story of Christianity, Volume 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation
• Justo L. Gonzalez's The Story of Christianity, Vol. 2: The Reformation to the Present Day

More from Paco Amador

• Paco Amador: A Church With a Heart for Immigrants
• Little Village: New Life Community Church
• Immigrants Plant Churches and Revitalize a Neighborhood in Chicago (substack article)

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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of Redeeming Babel, a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Redeeming Babel.

How Thin Is the Line Between Patriotism and Nationalism?

Curtis Chang and David French take a hard look at the rise of Christian nationalism and its growing influence on American faith and politics. They unpack how this ideology blurs the line between patriotism and nationalism, reshaping evangelical identity and challenging both biblical and constitutional values. Drawing from history and theology—from January 6th to modern evangelical movements—they reveal how love of country can be redeemed from the distortions of fear and power. Listeners are invited to reflect on what true patriotism looks like for followers of Jesus in a divided America.

(02:30) - Understanding Christian Nationalism in America

(11:03) - Defining Christian Nationalism in America

(17:37) - The Emotional Identity of Lived Out Christian Nationalism

(26:17) - Challenging American Identity and History

(33:43) - America's Story and a Universal "us"?

(36:30) - The Competing Stories of 1619 and 1776

(44:18) - C.S. Lewis on Patriotism and Nationalism

(48:56) - American Identity, Patriotism, and Protecting Others

(55:45) - Security About the Truth of America

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Mentioned In This Episode:

• Andrew Whitehead & Samuel Perry's Taking America Back For God
• Thomas Kidd's Christian Nationalism vs. Christian Patriotism (article)
• How Many Americans Are Christian Nationalists? (article & date)
• David French: What Is Christian Nationalism, Exactly? (2/25/24)
• The Role of The New Apostolic Reformation
• A Critique of the Seven Mountain Mandate
• Derek Bell's Interest Convergence and the Permanence of Racism: A Reflection on Resistance
• Matt Yglesias's Great Awakening
• C.S. Lewis on Love of Country and Love of God
• C.S. Lewis on Love of Country and Love of God
• C.S. Lewis on Patriotism

More From David French:

• David French's New York Times pieces HERE
• Follow David French on Threads

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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of Redeeming Babel, a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Redeeming Babel.

Join Curtis Chang, host of the Good Faith Podcast, along with co-leaders Chuck Mingo, Sarah Billups, Russell Moore, Kaitlyn Schiess, and Mark Turman, as they move listeners through a series of guided prayers based on the Beatitudes. This pastoral effort invites the audience to recalibrate their spiritual focus and pray for the church, our country, and one another. Beginning with "Blessed are the poor in spirit" and culminating in rejoicing and gladness, this time of reflection and prayer encourages all-comers to renew their hope, reclaim peace, and follow Christ faithfully in a divided world.

(01:05) - Welcome from Curtis Chang

(03:47) - Centering Silence

(04:20) - Blessed Are the Poor In Spirit: Curtis Chang

(09:50) - Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

(13:39) - Blessed Are the Meek: Chuck Mingo

(14:58) - Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst For Righteousness:Sara Billups

(16:49) - Blessed Are the Merciful: Sara Billups

(17:59) - Prayer For the Church Universal From the Book of Common Prayer: Sara Billups

(19:45) - Blessed Are the Pure in Heart: Russell Moore

(22:14) - Blessed Are the Peacemakers: Russell Moore

(24:08) - Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted: Kaitlyn Schiess

(27:35) - Prayers For the Needs of God's Work: Kaitlyn Schiess

(28:39) - Rejoice and Be Glad: Mark Turman

(32:12) - Hope and Joy in Christ: Mark Turman

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Scriptures Referenced:

• Matthew 5: 1-12 (ESV)
• Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV)
• Amos 5 (ESV)

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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of Redeeming Babel, a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Redeeming Babel.

Can Our Enemies Teach Us Anything?

A.J. Swoboda joins the Good Faith podcast to unpack how cultivating a teachable spirit and practicing true discipleship means learning from enemies, strangers, and neighbors in a divided world. He emphasizes how to recognize real experts amid alternate facts and subjective "truths," and tells how the countercultural practice of learning from anyone—regardless of agreement—fosters humility, empathy, and connection, insights drawn from his book A Teachable Spirit.

(03:11) - Cultivating a Teachable Spirit

(09:38) - Reverse Prophecy and Calling Out Your Tribe

(17:55) - Experts & Expertise

(22:09) - Sola Scriptura vs. "Solo" Scriptura

(23:27) - Jesus Would Be the Best At Anything

(32:04) - Replacing Our Neighbors With Technology

(45:03) - Learning From Enemies

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Mentioned In This Episode:

• A.J. Swoboda's A Teachable Spirit
• How John Calvin understood the Ten Commandments
• Erving Goffman's The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (pdf)
• More about Fuller Seminary's John Goldengay
• Roger Kneebone: The Path To Expertise and Why Experts Matter
• Understanding Erving Goffman's concept of Civil Inattention
• Dallas Willard's sermon: The Genius of Jesus, part 1 (video)
• Dallas Willard's Jesus the Logician (article)
• How Should Pastors Respond to Charlie Kirk's Assassination? (article)

Scriptures Referenced:

• The Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5-7 (ESV)
• Mark 12:30-31 (ESV)
• Deuteronomy 10 (ESV)
• Hebrews 13:2 (ESV)

More From A.J. Swoboda:

• A.J. Swoboda and Nijay Gupta's The Slow Theology Podcast
• A.J. Swoboda's Low Level Theology Substack
• A.J. Swoboda's The Dusty Ones: Why Wandering Deepens Your Faith

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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of Redeeming Babel, a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Redeeming Babel.